This invention relates to a device for training livestock.
Training of young livestock can be difficult due to livestock""s natural inclination to be free and unrestrained. Horses are one type of livestock that man often desires to be trained to travel on a lead rope. Horses have a tendency to xe2x80x9cbuckxe2x80x9d or kick their rear legs backward in an effort to resist being controlled during training. A well known control device used by horse owners and trainers is a halter or headpiece, which is a harness that fits around the horse""s head and includes a means for allowing releasable attachment of a lead rope. This allows the owner or trainer to control the horse""s movement to some extent by controlling the position of the horse""s head. A headpiece, however, only offers a limited degree of control over the horse and does little to control bucking. A solution to this problem is offered by the training harness disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,185 (""185). The ""185 training harness comprises a halter, harness lead, neck strap, belly strap, and back strap, all of which are connected to a one-piece buck strap that extends the length of the horse, around the horse""s hindquarters, and back along the opposite side of the horse. While effective for controlling bucking, the training harness disclosed in the ""185 patent is difficult and time consuming to use. What is clearly needed, therefore, is an inexpensive and effective training device for livestock that is easy to use.
A first embodiment of the invention is a device comprises a headpiece, a barrel strap, a back strap, an extension strap, and a lead. The back strap is slidably engaged along its length with the barrel strap at a first contact point and a second contact point spaced along the length of the barrel strap so as to form a loop from a central portion of the back strap between the first and second contact points. A first end of the back strap is releasably attached to a first end of the extension strap. A second end of the back strap is releasably attached to a second end of the extension strap. The extension strap slidably engages the headpiece along the length of the extension strap. The lead is releasably attached to the connector point of the extension strap. The headpiece, barrel strap, back strap, and extension strap are sized, configured, and arranged such that a trainer is able to control rearward movement of the hindquarters of the animal by controlling the tension placed upon the lead when the device is fitted upon the animal with the headpiece secured over the head of the animal, the barrel strap is secured around the barrel of the animal, and the loop formed by the back strap extending around the hindquarters of the animal.
A second embodiment of the device comprises a headpiece, a barrel strap, a back strap, a first extension strap, a second extension strap, and a lead. The back strap is slidably engaged along its length with the barrel strap at a first contact point and a second contact point spaced along the length of the barrel strap so as to form a loop from a central portion of the back strap between the first and second contact points. A first end of the back strap is releasably attached to a first end of the first extension strap and a second end of the back strap is releasably attached to a first end of the second extension strap. The first and second extension straps slidably engage the headpiece along the lengths of each extension strap. The lead is releasably attached to the second end of the first extension strap and the second end of the second extension strap. The headpiece, barrel strap, back strap, first extension strap, and second extension strap are sized, configured, and arranged such that a trainer is able to control rearward movement of the hindquarters of the animal by controlling the tension placed upon the lead when the device is fitted upon the livestock with the headpiece secured over the head of the animal, the barrel strap is secured around the barrel of the animal, and the loop formed by the back strap extending around the hindquarters of the animal.